Hinged lid actuator and prop



Jan. 13, 1953 c. HOLLERITH HINGED LID ACTUATOR AND PROP 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Feb. 17, 1949 3mm CHA R1 E5 HUL L 55 TH Jan. 13, 1953 c, HOLLERITH HINGED LID ACTUATOR AND PROP 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Feb. 17, 1949 EHAR'LEE HULLEFGITH Patented Jan. 13, 1953 HINGED LID ACTUATOR AND PROP Charles Hollerith, Jackson, Mich, assignor to Lake State Products, Jackson, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application February 17, 1949, Serial No. 77,020

This invention relates to mechanism for controlling the swinging movements of hinged lids, covers, doors and the like in such manner that the swingable hinged member is automatically held arrested in any of a pre-selected number of different angular positions in the swinging operation but can be readily moved past a said angularly arrested position upon the exertion of an additional opening or closing effort.

Although the invention is applicable to the controlling of the swinging movements of hinged members generally, such as lids, covers and doors, it i applicable with especial advantage to the controlling of the opening and closing swinging motion of the vat lid or cover of a domestic dishwasher.

Itis an object of the invention to provide an actuator and prop mechanism which is cap-able of being operatively associated with a hinged closure member in such manner and arrangement as not only constrains the closure member to move into a partly open position but also automatically maintains the closure member in a preselected angular position in the opening or closing movement of closure member.

It is also an object of the invention to provide an actuator and prop mechanism for operative association with the hinged vat closure member of a dishwasher such that the prop, with an associated cam surface, functions to constrain the closure member to move into a vat venting position as well as automatically to arrest the closure member in the fully open position, while permitting the closure member to be immediately opened and closed merely by applying a sufiicient opening or closing effort to move the prop past a prop arresting position on said cam surface, and this without need for actuation of any extraneous or additional mechanism.

The above and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear clear from a consideration of the following description and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. I is a front view of one form of the invention shown applied to the lid closure of a domestic dishwasher, the surrounding lid and vat structure being shown broken away for ease of illustration and the lid actuator and prop being shown in position, relatively to its associated cam surface abutment, corresponding to the fully closed condition of the lid closure,

Fig. II is a side elevational view of Fig. I and showing thelid closure and prop in dotted positions corresponding to the vat venting and fully open conditions of the lid closure, and

7 Claims. (Cl. 22035) Fig. III is a detail plan view of the line A--A of Fig. II but with the cam follower on the prop in position corresponding to the full open condition of the lid closure.

Referring to the drawings l0 indicates the vat of a domestic dishwasher and I2 a top closure lid therefor hinged at 14 to afixed frame structure l6 and having a front latching plunger I8 and latch IQ for holding the lid closed substantially as disclosed in co-pending application Serial No. 638,273 in the names of Meadowcraft et a1. and filed December 29, 1945.

Secured upon the inside of the lid closure l2, as by screws 20, and adjacent the elongated hinge Hi there is an elongated angle plate 22 having a central boss 24 and a laterally spaced boss 26 on each side thereof, which bosses serves for the mounting of a rod 28 upon which there is mounted the coil portion 30 of a pair of springs each of which has a short end extension 32, which is tensioned into firm contact with the top wall 34 of the angle plate 22, and a long end extension or leg 36 disposed to depend into the vat and tensioned towards a cam surfaced abutment plate fixed upon the inside of the vat and indicated generally at 38. The coil springs 30 provide, therefore a pair of similar and laterally spaced tensioned' leg 36, which constitute a prop for holding the lid closure I2 open as well as for actuating the latter to the venting position when the latched connection at l8-l9 is released and as will be described later.

At its lower end, the prop, as constituted by the tensioned spring legs 36, carrie a cam follower roller mounted upon a cross pin 40 and providing a central roller portion 42 and two outside cam follower portions 44.

The abutment plate 38 is of channel shape, as seen clearly in Fig. III, and presents similar cam surfaces on the front edge of each forwardly extending side flange 46 thereof. The said roller cam followers 44 are normally tensioned into engagement with these cam surfaces whereas the central roller portion 42 is guided for movement between the said flanges 46.

The cam surfaced abutment plate 38, which is shown secured in position upon the rear wall of the vat ID by screw studs 48 and in a manner which will be described in detail later, has its cam edge surfaces formed as shown clearly in Fig. II to provide a series of vertically extending elevations and depressions consisting of a top steep elevation 50 followed by a depression 52, a shallower elevation 54 followed by a deep elevation 56 and a bottom depression 58followed by a deep bottom elevation 60. The cammed. abutment.

plate 38 is also shown provided with a bottom recess 62, which serves to support the upper tray element 64 normally present in a domestic dishwasher, the tray being supported on th opposite side by a stud structure 66.

The construction and arrangement of the spring prop and cam surfaced abutment plate is such that when the lid I2 is held closed by the latch mechanism i8l9, as shown in full lines in Fig. II, the cam followers 42 are located against the bottom elevations (it of their respective flanges it of the abutment plate and the spring arms 38, constituting the prop, are thus tensioned in onposition to the restraining influence of the latch mechanism with the result that when this mechanism is automatically released at the end of a rinsing cycle the prop arms 1% spring automatically into position where the cam followers are engaged in their respective cam depressions 58 and the lid- 12 is held partly open, as shownin g dotted lines in Fig", II. To open the lid l2 further, it is merely necessary to exert a further lifting effort on the lid to force the cam followers'over the second elevations 55'. Ihis is accompanied by a'further stressing of the spring arms 35, which is released inconstraining the cam followers to engage the shallower elevations Ed, which correspond to a further partly opened condition of thelid at an increased 'angle of, for instance, 45; Further opening'movement brings the cam followers into position wherethey'snap into the top depressions EZ-and i-nthisposi'tion the prop holds thelid in the fully operrposition; also shown in dotted lines in Fig, II;

To close the lid itgis'merelynecessary to exert sufficient closing effort thereon as to-constrain-the cam fol-lowers totraverse their respective cam surfaces in thereverse direction, as will be understood.

Toprovi-deforease of assemblyandadjustment and-the maintaining of an eifective seal between theiahutmentplate 38 and the rear vat wall it is proposedto' employ a, unitary; screw stud affixing block; indicated; generallyat it; and'conveniently'of star-shapeasseen. in. Fig. I. This block illjand also the abutment plate 33" are capableof beingfixediin position upon the. rear vat walllifi byscrewstudsinserted from the inside of the vatwall'ES; For this purpose each arm of the star shape block has a rearwardly projecting thickened portion 12 provided with l a. screw threaded berefti; while a similar thickened portion T5 with a screw threaded: bore i8 is provided. at, thev central block portion. Noting that the base 86 of the abutment plate has a central elongated opening 82 and-Van elongated opening 8:3 vertically spaced. on each sideof the latter and that. a. sheet 36 of packing material is inserted'between the-block it and the vat wall 68, itwillbe appreciated that the block can. be secured upon the said wall by the central. screwstud 88- and that theabutment plateflsdcan alsobe secured upon this wall by the screw studs-ed; thehead of the studtiipassing througlrthe central elongated opening 82 for" tightening contact with the wall E o-and the headsof the studs 88 being'tightened against the base 88 of the abutment: plate 38 and the pack'ngsheetst-beingapertured for the passage .of the screwstuds; To adjust theabutment plate vertically andthereby correctlyiposi tionrits cam. surfaces with respeot'to the cam followers it is merely necessaryto slacken the screw studs 98., whereas byslackening the central stud 88 as" wellas the-screw studs 9!! both block T0 and abutment plate 38 can be vertically adjusted within the limits of the aforesaid slots.

A channel shape cover plate structure 92 for enclosing the spring prop and associated cam abutment plate is conveniently held in position by further screw studs 94 engaged in the block TB and having their heads located against elongated openings 96 in base flanges 98 of the cover plate structure.

Having thus described one practical form of my inventionwhat I claim as novel and wish to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

The combination with a cabinet and a cover hinged to one wall of the cabinet, a means for supporting the cover in a plurality of relative angular open positions, said means comprising means mounted on the interior of said cabinet wall having a cam surface including a plurality of depressions, a helicalspring supported on the underside of th cover and having one-end extended-to bear against the cover, the opposite spring end beingextended'to bear against the'cam surface; and the spring being preloaded whereby whenthe cover is rocked-to bring the said opposite spring end into alignment with one of said depressions the said opposite spring end will be forced into thedepression to hold the cover in an open positionunder spring force;

2. The combination with a cabinet and. a cover hinged to" one end wall of the-cabinet, of means for supporting the cover his plurality of-"relative angular open positions, said means comprising means mounted on the interior ofsaid cabinet wall having a cam surface including'a plurality of depressions, a plurality of helical springs'supported on the underside-of the" cover and each spring'havingv one end extended to bear against the cover, the opposite'end of each spring being extended toward the cam surfacea common cam roller rotatably mounted on said opposite spring endsand-bearing against'thecam surface, and

the springs being preloaded whereby when the cover is rocked to bring the cam roller-into alignment with one of said depressions the roller will be forced into thedepression-to hold the cover in an open positionunder spring force.

3; The'combination with a cabinet and a cover hinged to-one wall of'the cabinet; of means for supporting the cover in a pluralityof relative-angular open positions-, said means comprising means'mounted on" the interior of' said cabinet wallhaving a cam surface including a plurality of depressions, a plate-fixed to the underside-of the'coverand having spaced depending ears, a helical spring disposed between a; pair of adjacent ears, a'pin projected through the spring and engaging said pair of ears,- one end of the spring being extended to bear against the plate and the opposite end being extended-toward the camsurfacea cam roller rotatably mounted upon said'opposite spring end and bearing against the cam surface, and the spring means being preloaded to exert thrust on the cam roller whereby a cam roller rotatably mounted on said opposite spring ends, a cam element generally U form in cross section mounted on the cabinet wall, each leg of the cam element being formed to provide a cam surface including a plurality of depressions, the cam roller comprising an enlarged cen tral portion extending between the element legs and reduced end portions engaging the cam surfaces, and the springs being preloaded whereby as the cover is rocked the cam roller will be forced into said depressions when brought into alignment therewith.

5. The combination with a cabinet, a cover hinged to one wall of the cabinet, and latch mechanism for holding the cover closed, of means for supporting the cover in a plurality of relative angular open positions, said means comprising means mounted on the interior of said cabinet wall having a generally vertically extending cam surface, said surface including a lower portion and an upper portion comprising successive humps and depressions, helical spring means supported on the underside of the cover having one end portion extended to bear against the cover and the opposite end portion extended toward the cam surface, a cam roller supported by said opposite end portion and bearing against the cam surface, the spring means being preloaded whereby when the cover is manually rocked to bring the cam roller into alignment with one of said depressions the roller will be forced into the depression to hold the cover in an open position by spring force, and closing of the cover being effective to further load the spring means whereby when the cover latch mechanism is tripped the cover will be forced open by spring force and the cam roller will ride along the lower portion of the cam surface until the lowermost depression is encountered.

6. In combination with a dishwasher cabinet or the like and a hinged lid therefor, a combined prop and actuator means for controlling swinging movement of the lid between the fully closed and open position and including a partly open venting position, said combined prop and actuator means comprising an elongated abutment vertical structure for attachment to a wall of the cabinet, said abutment structure having a longitudinally extending cam surface presenting alternate elevations and depressions, a spring stressed prop having a cam follower for selective traversal engagement with said elevations and depressions, said cam surface including a bottom elevation leading into the depression corresponding to that in which the said cam follower is engaged in the partially opened and venting lid position, mounting structure for said spring stressed prop to attach the prop to the lid and position the cam follower to be stressed into longitudinal traversible engagement with said cam surface with the cam follower held against said bottom elevation when the lid is in the fully closed position, whereby to increase the spring stressing of said prop and thereby constrain the lid to move sharply into the venting position upon the lid being actuated to move it to open position.

7. The combination as described in claim 6 and wherein a U-shaped guard member secured to the cabinet wall encases the said cam surface.

CHARLES HOLLERITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 736,714 Gendron Aug. 18, 1903 923,694 Oswald June 1, 1909 1,165,894 Negraval Dec. 28, 1915 1,726,398 Limbocker Aug. 27, 1929 2,070,046 Gredell Feb. 9, 1937 2,175,534 Loftin et a1. Oct. 10, 1939 2,465,088 Gussack Mar. 22, 1949 2,468,584 Wotring Apr. 26, 1949 

